When Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl debuted in 2003, it didn’t look like a guaranteed hit. A movie inspired by a Disney theme park attraction, combined with a pirate theme—a genre that had struggled at the box office—seemed like a risky bet.

Against expectations, the film turned into a massive success. Director Gore Verbinski brought energy and style to the project, while Hans Zimmer delivered a bold, adventurous score that became instantly recognizable. Most importantly, Johnny Depp created an unforgettable character in Captain Jack Sparrow, which helped elevate the film into something special.

Over time, the series grew into one of Disney’s biggest franchises, even dominating the global box office at its peak. More than 20 years have passed since the first film’s release, and nearly a decade since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales hit theaters.

The Uncertain Future of the Sixth Film

Despite the franchise’s lasting popularity, Disney has struggled to decide how to move forward with Pirates of the Caribbean 6. In recent years, the studio has shifted its focus toward major brands like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, along with live-action remakes of its animated classics. These projects have largely replaced Pirates of the Caribbean as Disney’s top live-action priority.

That leaves one big question: will a sixth installment ever be made? While the project has been in development for years, its future remains unclear.

Confirmation of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’

Reports suggest that Disney still sees value in returning to the franchise, especially under leadership changes involving Josh D'Amaro and Bob Iger. Development on a sixth film actually began before the fifth movie was released in 2017, and it was officially confirmed to still be in progress in 2018.

However, not everything has gone smoothly. Although Dead Men Tell No Tales earned nearly $800 million worldwide, it fell short of expectations, particularly in the U.S. market. Combined with its high production cost, the film was viewed as underperforming.

At the same time, Disney found greater success with other releases like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Coco, and the live-action Beauty and the Beast. Rising budgets and declining returns contributed to the franchise being temporarily put on hold. Another major factor was the situation surrounding Johnny Depp.

Potential Cast for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’

So far, no official cast has been announced. Kaya Scodelario, who appeared in the fifth film, previously signed a multi-movie deal, but it’s uncertain whether she will return after so much time has passed.

There were also reports that Margot Robbie might lead a new version of the franchise. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer later confirmed that multiple Pirates projects were in development, including one potentially starring Robbie. Whether that version is still moving forward remains unknown.

Keira Knightley has stated she does not plan to return, while Orlando Bloom has expressed interest—but ideally with the original cast involved. This leaves the biggest uncertainty surrounding Johnny Depp and his role as Jack Sparrow.

Bruckheimer has indicated he would like Depp to return, but the situation is complicated. Reports during the production of the fifth film suggested difficulties on set, and Depp’s personal life also brought significant attention to the franchise. Legal disputes involving Amber Heard, including a high-profile case in 2022, further complicated matters.

Although Depp has said he felt let down by Disney and was hesitant to return, Bruckheimer revealed in 2024 that two separate scripts were being developed—one including Jack Sparrow and another without him.

What Could the Story Be About?

At this stage, there are no confirmed plot details for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. The previous film hinted at the return of Davy Jones, suggesting a possible continuation of the supernatural storyline introduced earlier in the series.

However, given the long gap between films, it’s likely the next installment will take the story in a different direction rather than directly continuing old plotlines. The project has already gone through multiple writers and creative approaches, indicating that Disney is still searching for the right vision.

According to Bruckheimer, the strength of the script may ultimately determine whether key actors—especially Johnny Depp—decide to return.

Development Challenges and Current Status

Several writers have been attached to the project over the years. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were initially hired but later exited. Later, Craig Mazin joined forces with Ted Elliott to work on a new draft.

More recently, Jeff Nathanson has been linked to a reboot script, while Christina Hodson has been connected to a separate project that could star Margot Robbie.

As of April 2026, the film remains in development without any major breakthroughs. While anniversaries of past films—like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest—could spark new announcements, there is still no clear timeline for production.

For now, fans can revisit the existing films, all of which are available to stream on Disney+, while waiting to see if the franchise will eventually return to the big screen.

Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer passionately expresses his desire to have Johnny Depp back for more Pirates films. Pirates of the Caribbean saw its last iteration in 2017 with the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. A sequel, which will be the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film has since been announced. Unlike its five predecessors, however, Depp will not be returning as Captain Jack Sparrow.

If it were up to Bruckheimer, however, Depp would return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Speaking with Deadline, Bruckheimer sung Depp’s praises, speaking well of both his talents and character. Check out the full quote from Bruckheimer:

While Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow seems unlikely to return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, audiences can find a silver lining in the sequel’s choice of screenwriter, original Pirates of the Caribbean scribe Ted Elliott. As of August 2022, it does not look like Johnny Depp will be back as Jack Sparrow in the long-delayed sequel Pirates of the Caribbean 6. However, the sequel’s screenwriter could guarantee that the much-delayed franchise installment will still feel like a classic Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Legendary blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently confirmed that the sequel is happening only a few months after he admitted that were two separate sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movies being worked on at the same time and neither was complete. While the status of Margot Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff isn’t clear, what is clear is that a direct sequel titled Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is currently being written. It is also being scripted by one of the original movie’s screenwriters, a promising development for the series.

Original Pirates of the Caribbean co-writer Ted Elliott is currently writing Pirates of the Caribbean 6, bringing his “great command of the characters” to the project according to Bruckheimer. While the absence of Depp’s Jack Sparrow may leave some fans feeling like Pirates of the Caribbean 6 won’t be able to recapture the feeling of the earlier movies in the series, Elliott’s pedigree might dispel that notion. As well as working on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Elliott was also involved in some of the biggest blockbusters of the 90s and 00s.

Why Bruckheimer’s Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Update Is Exciting

One of the biggest blockbuster screenwriters of the 21st century, Ted Elliott had a hand in all five of the original Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the National Treasure franchise, both of the Zorro movies, and Shrek. He also has credits on the original, animated Aladdin and Joe Dante's underrated Small Soldiers and, although his career does include some duds like Treasure Planet and The Lone Ranger, even these financially disappointing outings were later seen as under-appreciated by critics if not audiences. Elliott’s career is one of the more impressive blockbuster screenwriting runs in recent Hollywood history, with most of his projects garnering solid reviews if not outright acclaim.

However, audiences might reasonably remain unconvinced of the potential of Pirates of the Caribbean 6. After all, Pirates of the Caribbean’s later, lesser sequels were disliked by casual audiences and critics alike, and Elliott was involved in their scriptwriting process. Not only that, but Elliott wrote the original Pirates of the Caribbean with long-time writing partner Terry Rossio, who has not yet been announced as one of the Pirates of the Caribbean 6 scribes. As such, the fact that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has brought back a pivotal piece of the franchise’s successful creative team might not be enough to convince some skeptical viewers. That said, the chances of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 feeling like a legitimate Pirates of the Caribbean franchise installment despite Depp’s likely absence feel a lot stronger now.

One of the original Pirates of the Caribbean writers is returning for the franchise's next film. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise began as a film inspired by a Disney attraction, with the first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, hitting theaters in 2003. Curse of the Black Pearl impressed critics and audiences, becoming a global blockbuster, making over $650 million worldwide. Gore Verbinski was at the helm, directing a cast that included Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, and Johnny Depp in his first go-around playing Captain Jack Sparrow, a character that would become beloved among fans while also nabbing Depp a Best Actor Academy Award nomination.

Following the success of The Curse of the Black Pearl, two sequels were shot back to back, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Both films received mediocre reviews but still managed to outdo the original in terms of box office revenue. Having wrapped up stories for Knightley's Elizabeth Swann and Bloom's Will Turner, the franchise then moved on with Depp's Sparrow becoming the sole focus in the following two sequels, 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. And while both films still found financial success, they received the worst reviews in the franchise, which has been dormant since. However, a new movie is said to be in development.

According to Comicbook, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated that one of the original writers of the franchise, Ted Elliott, is returning to work on the next installment. However, Bruckheimer didn't mention any details about what to expect from the story but ensured the script is actively being written. Check out Bruckheimer's comments about the new Pirates of the Caribbean film below: